Art Heals

A big thank you to the folks who purchase the art that is on display at the University of Washington Hospital Main Campus (UWMC). I visit my AMAZING headache doctor there every three to six months and look forward to walking the corridors and checking out the new pieces. Here's a little of what I saw on display this week.

Untitled (Cherry Tree) by Errol Etienne, 1995

The artist was in Seattle in 1995 for a liver transplant at UWMC. He trained at the Art Center School of Design in L.A. 

The UWMC Art Program and Suze Woolf presents 

Inspired By Zion

Watercolors created during an Artist-in-Residency at Zion National Park in 2012

My (almost) open letter to Miley

I started writing a letter to Miley today... it was time. I've been thinking about her. Also I was thinking, "Maybe this will be the post that gets 1 million hits!" Wait, I'm no better than the music industry pigs--I too want to use Miley for my own selfish needs. So I put it to rest. Then, later in the day,  I read what Gloria Steinem had to say on the matter and I knew that Glo, in her wisdom, deserved the final word on our blog.

I don't think Miley's VMA performance was a feminist set-back. "I wish we didn't have to be nude to be noticed...But given the game as it exists, women make decisions. For instance, the Miss America contest is, in all of its states...the single greatest source of scholarship money for women in the United States. If a contest based on only appearance was the single greatest source of scholarship money for men, we would be saying, "This is why China wins." You know? It's ridiculous. But that's the way the culture is. I think that we need to change the culture, not blame the people that are playing the only game that exists."

We need to stop blaming Miley and change the culture. Thanks Gloria.

well done quest for beauty- in a dump.

http://www.upworthy.com/watch-the-first-54-seconds-that-s-all-i-ask-you-ll-be-hooked-after-that-i-swear?g=2

Old car colors were sooooo much better.

I saw all of these hip vehicles around Seattle in the past few months... I wish modern cars weren't so over the top with bad colors, ubiquitous silver metallics and high sheens - these soft lustrous colors look great with out all that reflective shimmer... 

Well Done Street Art, Wallingford

Wow!! I drove over this today and had to stop the car! It's an amazing neighborhood effort to beautify their street- 

So inspiring! Turn east off of Latona on 60th to see it-

Found on FB- our motto exactly-

Okay Fite, Bring it!

Tetherball! Wow, serious memory flashback. I played this game EVERY DAY during recess at Devon Elementary with Suzanne Knapp, Claudia Kerschner, and Carolyn Fite. Fite was the best, feisty and determined, but I could hold my own against her.

Today I was out for my regular walk and came across this--a street signpost and the surrounding turf converted into a tetherball court. Brilliant. Well Done--it's good to be back.

Don't go to sketchy malls.

My first real memory of jeans was hating their stiffness ,their funky sewed on 80's lookin patches on the knees, and the fact that I couldn't really do cartwheels and splits in them.
My first memory of loving jeans  was in high school (this was the early 90's) when friends and I would buy men jeans, go down to the basement, rip them up, pour bleach on them and put them in the dryer. We would sit on the pool table and wait patiently for them to come out, creating acid wash boyfriend jeans before such a thing existed in the fashion world. We'd promptly put them on and do the classic tight ankle roll at the bottom( remember the fold and roll?) .
It was imperative that the jeans were big, ripped, bleached and that we wore white Reebok sneakers with slouchy socks and a big Champion sweatshirt- That was the uniform in my NY town - rebellious, yet not.
I can still remember sitting in class with the bleach smell wafting....

Between then and now I have had some love affairs with some late 90's Gap Jeans, the Lucky Brand,  and a brand called Delia's ( they sells jeans for women with curves) that required a trip to a sketchy mall where we ended up being caught up in a mall shooting. I am not kidding. I don't wear them anymore. 

So, here I am in 2013. I turned 40 this past summer. Life is good! Except I was in a serious jean depression. Everything looked terrible.
In the background sound track of the past year, I have heard a friend often saying, you are a 'catherine boyfriend jeans' kinda girl ( by Kut from the Kloth) I mean, she has said this literally a thousand times. I kept ignoring, why? I don't know. I think it's the fact that you have to come around to some things on your own. I went to her house on Saturday night and she made me try hers on. It was a revelation. They had the tiny bit of stretch, good coverage but not 'mom jeans', great color, great shape and then I danced and felt a cartwheel coming on. They had the essence of the 90's man jeans, the sexiness of the lucky brand jeans, the color of the gap jeans all wrapped up in one pair of jeans. TADA!!!

Lessons learned, listen to your friends & don't go to sketchy malls.

Dahlia's at Volunteer Park-

Wow..today I stopped by Volunteer Park to see the Dahlia Garden-

There are so many varieties it's mind blowing- if you have 30 mins and you live in Seattle you might consider having a look this week-

They're right near the conservatory- across the lawn. Prepare for major aaaahs and oooohs like fireworks!

Well Done Revival.

Hi y'all-

It's been a while since i posted anything here- I'm not sure why- I think it's because when Rebecca and I started this blog we were in a work slump or sorts and needed to revive our creative selves and prime the pump.

!

Well, it worked- Rebecca's event planning business is booming and I have never been more busy with mine. We are in performance mode now.

This is good for many reasons, except one important one.

Hi! We missed you!

I am forgetting to stop and smell the roses.  I am traveling at the speed of light and haven't sat and stopped and looked around to see beauty, truly see it, in a long time.

It's what this blog was all about.

We have had 76000 visits to this blog since we started, 1000 visits per month even though we haven't posted since December. This says to me that others are feeling the same.

Hey Rebecca, you in for a revival??

Anne

Hulihe'e Palace

A summer home palace for Hawaiian Queens & Kings.
This is my new "happy place".

An elegant palace that is 2000 sqft . It has tall ceilings, deep, big window wells lined with Koa wood and big porches looking out on the perfect ocean view. The top porch has a stairway to the lower porch.

I love the exterior colors- and the Victorian elegance amidst the other casual architecture of Kona-

Come see this place if you are ever in Kona- it's a well done mini palace!

Lazy Susan & me

First off, can someone tell me why this is called a Lazy Susan? I've always wondered. Okay, to the meat of the post. Some things in life just make me happy and I mean really ridiculously happy. One of those things is coming across UNBELIEVABLE vintage items and deals while thrift shopping and another is Lazy Susans. So imagine the joy I felt when my BFF Carol found this baby (see photo) at Value Village Capital Hill yesterday. Yes folks it's a killer Lazy Susan. And there it sits on my dining room table (okay, I want a new vintage 50's table, but that's another story) making every single meal taste so much better. 

Steel Door

Collaboration is pretty awesome-
1.Homeowner saw an inspiration picture
2.Contractor figured out the 'how-to': did the math , cut and pre-drilled 5 sizes of metal shapes, enough pieces for two sides of  a 5'x9'  door.
3.Expert metal finisher created the multi-layered color , plus an exterior rated lacquer coating on the galvanized steel pieces and also on thousands of screws.
4. Ecstatic designer(me) made a template of how to lay them out
5. Giddy designer (again, me) guided the contractors as they hung the pieces, these guys were great collaborators, willing to give up the creative part of the construction- such professionals.
6. Angels sang.
( ok maybe they were just singing in my head )

5'x9' Pivot Door with Custom Steel Design

halfway thru the first side.

Twin Set

Does anyone know what's going on with the knitting project at Dahl Park? I sure would like the scoop. I was out walking the other day and "BLAM" there it was: sweaters on a bench, sweaters protecting trees, and my initial dangling from a tree.

A Letter To Our Husbands

Dear Michael & Royal:
It's okay that you NEVER read our blog because last night we learned that Richard Shumway reads it all of the time, so there! And if you had been paying attention, you would know what the h*ll these vintage salt & pepper shakers are all about. We love you anyway.
Rebecca & Anne

Ps. Read the installment prior to this one and solve the S&P mystery.

Dale & me

Honestly, I was skeptical. I've never been a huge Chihuly fan and the politics around the property at the Seattle Center seemed sort of crazy; so I was ready to be underwhelmed. Guess what? I was totally wrong. Not only is the museum space well laid-out and terrific for events, but Dale Chihuly's glasswork and personal collections are nothing short of astounding. I most liked the PNW room with the Native American baskets and Pendleton blankets and Edward Curtis portraits. Who knew that Dale was such a collector of everything? He must own an entire storage building in Tacoma to hold all of his stuff: vintage tvs, accordions, radios, toys, cameras, blankets, baskets, and on and on.

The photos in this post are from the Collections Cafe. Dale designed the display tables and practically everything else on the lot. I think I'm going to dust-off my vintage salt & pepper collection and find a suitable display spot. Thanks Dale.

Meet Ralph

If you spend any time in the West Elm store, you would know how en vogue the Owl is: Every candle, ornament, pillow and blanket has an owl right now! If you know me, you know I have collected plenty of adorable Owl decor.. It seems i was inviting a real one into my life by decorating my home because now,  I have a real owl……
Meet Ralph, a Barred Owl that has been living in our Wedgwood backyard for a month or so. He/she is mysterious, beautiful and is charming us but making the chickens crazy.
It brings up a little question of what it means, you know in the 'woo-hoo' sense, to have an owl in your yard. I did a bit of lazy internet research to discover the Native American meaning. They have this wonderful way ( i am generalizing) of teaching us about ourselves through the animals that we have special encounters with.

I learned about this fortune-telling-through-animals while I  lived in Hawaii. My sister in law had a book called the Native American Medicine Cards which listed animals and their meanings. When you live there, amazing animal interactions were common and we found ourselves looking at it almost daily. I had major connections with sea turtles & spinner dolphins back then that made me feel completely connected to mother nature. Somehow, after moving back to Seattle and starting a family, I forgot to listen to the messages from the animals……..until Ralph arrived last month.
Here is what  I learned:

  "If Owl is your personal medicine, no one can deceive you about what they are doing, no matter how they try to disguise or hide it from you. You may be a little frightening to be around, since so many people have ulterior motives, which you see right through. If you are unaware of your medicine power, you may take your keen insights and abilities for granted. Others never do. You may frighten them and reflect their blindness, for you cannot be fooled. Owl medicine people know more about an individual's inner life than that person knows about herself or himself.

You are being asked to use your powers of keen, silent observation to intuit some life situation. Owl is befriending you and aiding you in seeing the total truth. Owl can bring you messages in the night through dreams or meditation Pay attention to the signals and omens. The truth always brings further enlightenment"

At the close of what seems to have been the hardest year of my life, I can honestly say that this animal connection and its message is very real to me. I have learned to listen to my instinct and pay attention--what I have found out about myself and others has been enlightening for sure.

I also found out that I like my Owl themed home decor items even more now; they will forever remind me of the fall I had an owl in my yard and discovered my true strength and my true boundaries.

Healing Garden at Children's Hospital

Today I went to the Children's Hospital with my son for his biofeedback appointment; he gets bad migraine headaches (I'm sorry George it's in the gene pool). While I was waiting for him to finish his session, I wandered around the Katz sculpture garden, which is part of the beautiful landscaping on site. I thought about all the families who come to the hospital with very, very sick children and I could imagine the brief respite this space provides them. There's a lot of literature out there regarding the effects of gardens on mental health, but the basic take-home is that nature soothes our souls and allows us to breathe more slowly and relax--I guess you could call it natural biofeedback.

Do Not Touch...

Here's the latest installation from my favorite gallery in town. 

Don Newman, Peace Activist

 I was at Grumpy D's cafe in Ballard the other day and this guy walked in and carefully took a stack of these little colorful handmade linoleum cut prints. They all say  "Peace."
I asked him if I could take a picture.

After 15 minutes he came over to my table and gave me a handwritten note explaining what  he was about, it said:

" I've been making this image for over 10 years. I have tried hard not to associate with any war, conflict, protest, religion, etc. I simply have hoped to connect people over the word and concept of peace." - Don Newman

On the back of the paper was a text taken from a post 9/11 John Lennon benefit concert called" Come Together" and it said: "Just have one word, Peace. in the window even if you don't exactly know why you are putting it there, it can't harm you. You will start to come across other people who have done the same"

If you want some, they are $2 each and you can get them at Grumpy D's Cafe -7001 Northwest 70th Street  Seattle, WA 98117
(206) 783-4039